Clamping device



Oct. 3, 1944. c. E. EALES CLAMPING DEVICE Filed Dec. 12, 1942 n, I w z mi Patented Oct. 3, 1944 cmmmo DEVICE Charles Edward of one-half to Pa.

Bales, Swarthmore, Alfred P. Smalley,

Pa., assignor Swarthmore,

Application December 12, 1942, Serial No. 468,851 7 Claims. ('01.287-49) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements ina clamp or connecting device, and more particularly to certainimprovements in a device for securely clamping crossed cables, wires,rods; tubes, and the like.

Such a clamping device has a wide variety of useful applications andaccording to one aspect of the invention, the clamp may b advantageouslyemployed in securing the crossed cables or the like elements of marinenets which are commonly utilized to afford protection against torpedoes,submarines or the like. These nets often have explosive chargesassociated therewith and the electrical lines for setting the chargesmay e passed through the cables. Of'course, it is to be clearlyunderstood that the clamping device of the present invention may be usedin various installations where it is desirable to secure angulariydisposed members. I

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide aclamping device which is constructed and arranged in such a manner as totransmit the clamping pressure directly to each of the cables or otherelements to be clamped.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clamping deviceof the above type wherein assembling and securing of the cables or thelike is greatly facilitated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clamping device of theabove type wherein the crossed cables or the like are each engaged andclamped the main body and clamping surfaces.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a clamping deviceof the above type which is inexpensive to manufacture and easilyassembled so that it is well adapted for commercial uses.

The above and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious andwill be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the device in an assembledclamping position.

Figure 2 is a side sectional view of the assembled clamping device ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a slightly modified form of clampingdevice. a

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view showing the modified form ofclamping element.

Referring morev in detail to the accompanying drawing and particularlyto Figures 1, 2, and 3,

the clamping device is illustrated as including a cylindrical bodyportion It, a clamping element H in the form of an insert or shoe and ahex clampingnut l 2 which engages threads i4 around one end of the bodyportion I 0. The opposite end of the body portion I0 is provided with ahexagonal periphery I5 to. facilitate assemling and clamping of thecables is, I60, or other crossed elements.

The body portion it may be made of any desired metal or other materialand the selection will depend on the properties required in any givenuse to which the device is to be put. Similarly, the size of the devicemay be varied to accommodate different size cables or other elements tobe clamped. As shown in Figure 1, the

body portion is formed from a block which is provided with longitudinalslots l1, Ila, intersecting each other and extending-radially across thebody portion.

The slots are open at the threaded end of th body portion but terminateshort of the opposite end thereof. The slots are of different lengthsdepending on the size 01' the elements to be clamped. With a given sizeof cable, the slot i1 is longer than the slot Ila by a distancesubstantially equal to the diameter of the cable "5. Thus, at thecrossing point, the cables may be in light contact but it is to beclearly understood that the difi'erential lengths of the slots may besuch as to prevent any contact between the cables. By altering thelength and width of the cablereceiving slots, cables of different sizesmay be clamped. The open slots greatly facilitate the I assemblingoperation by permitting rapid placing of the crossed elements withoutthe necessity of threading the cables through apertures. The hexagonalbas i5 can be placed in a similarly shaped recess in a base support orthe like so that the assemble unit can be rapidly clamped.

The clamping insert or shoe ii is illustrated as being in the form of aunitary structure including radially extending pairs of arms l8, l8awhich are adapted to fit into the slots ll, Ila, respectively. The armsl8 are extended to provide clamping portions which are downwardly offsetwith respect to the arms l8a in order to contact the lower cable l6while the upper cable i6a is engaged by the arms I811. The bottoms ofthe slots ll, lid, and the opposed clamping surfaces of the arms arecurved as at l9, or otherwise suitably tended surface contact with thecables or' other elements to be clamped. The curved clamping surfaces ofthe arms may be knurled to increase shaped to afford ex provided with arecess 25 and the upper surface of the bar2| is providing additionalfirmly gripped between the arms and the bottoms of the slots.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figure 4, the bodyportion may be made in the form of a cylinder 2| having diametricallyopposed pairs of slots 22, 22a, through the body wall. These slots maybe as previously described, and the same' form of clamping insert may beemployed, or an insert of the type shown in Figure 5 may be employed.This insert consists of two separate bars 23, 2|, which are crossed. Thebottom of the bar 23 is a centrally disposed cut-out or provided with acomplementary recess 26. Thus, the bars may be fitted together andinterlocked with thetop surface remaining in the same horizontal plane.The bar 24 has depending ends 21 which are adapted to engage lower cablein the longer slots 22 while the bottom surface of the bar 23 engagesthe upper cable in the shorter slots 22a. The clamping nut l2 may beapplied in the same manner although this nut might conveniently bearranged to. engage internal threads on the body wall, thus serving as aplug or the like.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the presentinvention provides a clamping device wherein clamping pressure isdirectly applied to each of the elements to be clamped and not merely toone of the elements for transmission to the other element or elements.Thus, material deformation or damage to the elements is prevented. Ofcourse, more than two crossed cables or other elements may be clamped byslots in the body and additional arms on the clamping insert. The of!-set arrangement of the arms of the clamping insert permits each cable tobe directly engaged and clamped without the necessity of applyingclamping pressure to one cable and then transmitting this pressure toand through other cables with resultant possibility of damage orexcessive squeezing of the crossed cables or other elements.

While certain forms of the invention have been shown and described, suchforms are merely for the purpose of illustration and it is to be clearlyunderstood that numerous and varied changes may be made in the detailsof construction and arrangement of parts without departing from thescope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

of different lengths,

I claim:

1. A clamping device for crossed cables or the like, comprising a bodyportion having slots of diil'erent lengths opening at an end of the bodyportion for receiving the cables, a clamping insert carried by the bodyportion with parts thereof extending into said slots to directly engageeach cable, and means for forcing the insert into tightclampingengagement with the cables.

2. A clamping device for crossed cables or the like, comprising a bodyportion having a threaded cylindrical portion with open slots forreceiving the cables, a clamping insert fitting within said slots andadapted to directly en.- gage each cable, and means engaging thethreaded portion for forcingsaid insert into tight clamping engagementwith the cables.

3. A clamping device forcrossed cables or the like, comprising a bodyportion having slots of different lengths opening at one end of the bodyportion for receiving the cables, a clamping insert having arms fittingwithin said slots and dimensioned to directly engage each of the cables,and means associated with the body portion for forcing the said armsinto tight clamp ing engagement with the cables.

4. A clamping device for cables or the like, comprising a body portionhaving a cylindrical portion with slots opening at one end thereof forreceiving the cables, clamping means including arms extending radiallyof said cylindrical portion and fitting within said slots for directlyengaging each cable, and means directly engaging the cylindrical portionfor forcing the clamping means into tight clamping engagement with thecable.

5. A clamping device for crossed cables or the like, comprising a bodyportion having slots of different lengths opening at one end of the bodyportion for facilitating the reception of the cables, clamping meanshaving offset clamping surfaces adapted to directly engage each of thecables and' means associated with the body portion for forcing theclamping means against the individual cables.

6. A clamping device for crossed cables or the like, comprising a bodyportion having openings of different lengths for receiving the cables,separate and independent clamping arms-for each cable, and meansassociated with the body portion for forcing the said clamping arms'intoengagement with the cables.

'7. A clamping device for cables or the like, comprising a body portionhaving slots opening at one end thereof for facilitating reception ofthe cables, a single pressure applying device carried by the bodyportion, and means extending into said slots in contact with the cablesand directly engaged by said pressure applying device whereby each cableis independently clamped.

CHARLES EDWARD EALES.

